Thill-coupling



2 Sheets S eeee I.

v PEGK,

THILL COUPLING,

No. 297,442. Patented Apr. 22,1884.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. D.PEOK. 4

v THILL COUPLING. 310,297,442. Patented Apr. 22, 1884.

NITED STATES.

ArnNr PALMER n. PECK, or GOLESBURG, IOWA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,442, dated April22, 1884:.

Application filed February 12, 1884 (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, PALMER D. PEOK, a citizenof the United States, residing at Colesburg, in the county of Delaware,in the State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Thill- Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of thillcouplings known as theself-locking detachable thin-coupling.

The object of this invention is to produce a detachable self-lockingthill-coupling capable of being connected and disconnected without theuse of tools. To this end I have designed and constructed the couplingrepresented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is anisometrical representation of a thill-coupling embodying my invention inplace on a portion of an axle-tree of a vehicle. Fig. 2 is also anisometrical representation of the coupling, in which portions are brokenaway to more clearly show its construction. Fig. 3 is an isometricalrepresentation of the coupling portion of the thill-iron. Fig. 4 is anisonietrical representation of the couplingpin. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection cut through the center of the coupling-pin, and Fig. 6 is avertical central section cut transversely of the axle-tree.

In the figures, A represents the iron portion of the axle-tree, and Bthe wood portion thereof, mounted upon the iron portion in the usualmanner.

At 0 is represented a clip of bow-staple form, fitted to encircle theupper portion of the axle-tree, and its depending arms a are cylindricaland are screw-threaded. These screw-threaded arms extend through aclamping-plate, b, placed on the under side of the iron portion of theaxle-tree, and through a plate-spring, c, placed on its under side, andby means of screw-nuts d, fitted to the screwthreadcd arms a, the partsare firmly fixed in place. The clip 0 on its front side is provided withears 0, projecting forward from its edge portions. The ears 6 aresuitably separated to receive the knuckle end of the thill-iron,

and their projecting end portions are perforated, as at h, to receive asuitable couplingpin. The perforations h are provided with a groove, i,in key-seat form. The ears 6 are provided with stops it, in thisinstance of segment form, projecting from their inner faces rearward ofthe perforation h, and concentric therewith. The plate-spring c, fromits connection with the clamping-plate, is bentdown ward, having itsdepending portion Z produced in an easy curve in such a manner that itsuprising free end will engage the rear face of the stops it to resistits spring action and hold it in position to receive the knuckle of thethill-iron or permit its removal.

At D is represented a portion of the thilliron, having its rear endportion, m, fitted in knuckle form to enter snugly between theprojecting ears of the clip. The knuckle D is bored, as at n, tocorrespond with the perforations h in the ears,to receive acoupling-pin, and it is also provided with a groove, 0, of key-seatform, to correspond with the like groove, 13, formed in the ears of theclip. The rear portion, 2, of the side ends of the knuckle is concentricwith the perforation therein, and its rear center portion, 8, iselongated, and is eocentric with the perforations, extending rearward tofreely enter between the stops 7c and engage the free end of the spring0 when the thills are in working position.

At E is represented a coupling-pin fitted to enter the perforations oropenings h in the ears and n in the knuckle of the thill-iron. The endportions of the coupling-pin E are provided with a feather or spline, t,of suitable dimensions to freely enter and pass through thekey-seat-formed grooves t in the ears and 0 in the knuckle of thethill-iron in such a manner that when in place the splines will engagethe ears to prevent the pin from turning, and its center portion, 20,thereof, minus the spline, will support the knuckle of the thill-ironbetween the ears and permit it to oscillate thereon freely. WVhen thethills are brought to their working position, as in Fig. l, the groovein the knuckle will be removed from the splines of the coupling-pin, andwill securely lock the parts.

To connect or disconnect the thills from the vehicle, the thills must beraised to a vertical position, as represented in Fig. 6, in whichposition the grooves in the knuckle and cars will be brought tocoincide, when the coupling-pin can be inserted to connect the parts, orcan be withdrawn to disconnect them.

In the operation of connecting or disconnecting the parts, it will beseen that when the thills are in the Vertical position shown in Fig. 6the enlarged eccentric rear portion, 8, of the knuckle will be in suchposition as to permit the knuckle to be inserted between the ears inposition to receive the coupling-pin without engaging the spring, whichis supported against the stops lo, and when the thills are lowered totheir working position, as in Fig. 1, and as in the position as shown inthe dotted lines in Fig. 6, the enlarged eccentric portion 3 will engagethe spring a, which will operate to produce a still coupling.

I claim as my invention- The combination, with the perforated and I 5slotted ears, of a thill-iron bored and slotted, as described, andformed with an enlarged eccentric portion, a splined pin to secure theparts, aspring upon which the thill-iron bears,

and stops to limit the movement of the spring, 20

substantially as set forth.

PALMER D. IECK.

Witnesses:

E. E. DODGE, Mrs; H. DUNSMOOR.

